Noise from pulley

I have a noise on my T&C. I took the belt off and the altenator seems fine. I did replace the tensioner pulley. It seems its worst around 1500-2000 rpms. It does not do it when the belts off. Please help me pinpoint this.

6 Suggested Answers

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hello ive read you questions and the other experts answers and they all have good points i just wanted to give you my point of viewthis belt tensioner is to be locked down so it doesnt move once the initial adjustment is made. what i like to do is turn the crankshaft by hand to pull tight the belt on the non tensioner side and this is when i lock down the tensioner .

and yes when a car like this comes in we alway recomend water pump, tensioner , and any other idler pulleys that each vehicle may need also we take care of any oil leaks at the same time . oil or antifreeze getting on the belt will deminish the belt life.and on your question on the cam brgs being loose , the cam is the length of the engine and it wont move enough to cause this kind of problem you would see a large oil leak first.

just a notewe do alot of customer cars that families take on vacation, and i dont want to be the one to ruin someones vacation by trying to save a buck. and when you are paying labor to have a belt replaced you expect it to reliable again.let me know if i can help with anything elsepaul

If it gets worse when turning the wheel at a stop, then it's the power steering pump. Could be the power steering fluid also. Check your belts for wear or damage. The idle pulley will make a constant noise, sometimes whining sometime screeching. To check idler pulley it is best to remove belts.

NOTE:
The A/C drive belt self tensioner is NOT a dynamic tensioner. After adjustment the tensioner bracket bolts are tightened. The torsion spring is no longer responsible for tensioning the A/C belt. The torsion spring is only used for initial belt tensioning.

CLEANINGClean all foreign debris from belt pulley grooves. The belt pulleys must be free of oil, grease, and coolants before installing the drive belt.

INSPECTIONBelt replacement under any or all of the following conditions is required:

Excessive wear

Frayed cords

Severe glazing

Poly-V Belt system may develop minor cracks across the ribbed side (due to reverse bending). These minor cracks are considered normal and acceptable. Parallel cracks are not (Fig. 3).

NOTE:Do not use any type of belt dressing or restorer on Poly-V Belts.
INSTALLATION

AIR CONDITIONING BELT - NEW

WARNING:
DO NOT REMOVE A/C BELT TENSIONER LOCKING BOLT WITHOUT FIRST HOLDING THE TENSIONER WITH A 1/2" DRIVE BREAKER BAR, AS PERSONAL INJURY COULD RESULT.

NOTE:
Verify that torsion spring position is in the new belt position before installing a NEW belt (Fig. 4). If torsion spring is not in the new belt position, follow steps 1-7 to change the tensioner spring from the USED belt position to the NEW belt position.

Insert a 1/2" drive breaker bar into the square opening on the tensioner. Hold counterclockwise pressure on tensioner while removing the locking bolt (Fig. 2).

Carefully release spring load of the torsion spring on the tensioner.

Remove pivot bolt, tensioner, and spring from front timing cover.

Insert spring arm into the NEW belt position on the tensioner (Fig. 4).

Install torsion spring, tensioner, and pivot bolt.

Install pivot bolt. Tighten only finger tight, at this time.

Using a 1/2" drive breaker bar, apply counterclockwise pressure until locking bolt can be installed.

Install the NEW belt by rotating the tensioner counterclockwise until the NEW belt can be installed on pulleys. See (Fig. 5) for belt routing.

remove the serpentine belt, then start the engine and listen for the noise. if the noise is gone. then you have a accessory going bad. ( i.e. ac compressor, water pump, belt tensioner, idler pulley...etc..)

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The belt tensioner on right side of engine, if you are facing vehicle, just below the altenator, is probably the problem. Mine made the noise all the time, bought part at Autozone, 18.99, its fixed, no noise.

If it is a squealing sound when you start up or water splashes in that area you need to adjust the tension or replace the belt. If the noise is actually coming from the pulley it may be the bearings on that alternator being bad.

Typically, the noise comes from the fact that the tension on the altenator belt is not enough. I recommend you tighten the belt by adjusting the tensioner screw by about (2) turns and test. Repeat it as necessary until the noise stops.

You'll usually hear the noise right at start up and it will continue for close to a minute until the idle of the car changes.

Check your tensioner pulley -- if you do not have enough tension on the serpentine belt, it will slip on the pulleys and cause a squeaking noise (very loud and high pitched). if you push on the serpentine belt with your hand, it should not more more than about an inch -- if it does, you are low on tension. If it does not have any give at all, then you have too much tension, and one of your pulleys might not be turning properly, causing that same noise. If your tension is right, and your car is still making that noise ... and belt dressings (the spray you probably used) are not working to stop it, then it might be a piece of rubber stuck on one of the pulleys, but this usually will not make that sound ... just smoke and a burned rubber smell.

I would suspect the altenator, A/C pulley, or the belt. when you checked the altenator and a/c they have to turn smoothly with no play or roughness. If these checked out fine then I would check the belt, they do stretch.

You didn't mention the alternator, power steering pump, or water pump. In fact, any pulley other than the crankshaft one can have a bad bearing or dry seal. Remove the belt and spin each pulley while listening for any rough noise or squeal. If it was the crankshaft, it might be time to check the oil. Start the engine with the belt off to see if it does squeal. Make sure the noise isn't coming from the radiator fan(s).

remove the serpentine belt, then start the engine and listen for the noise. if the noise is gone. then you have a accessory going bad. ( i.e. ac compressor, water pump, belt tensioner, idler pulley...etc..)

idler pully & or water pump also the alternator bearing will do this
fanbelt may have been too tight!
when belt is off check it again as it could also be the harmonic ballancer on the front of the crankshaft or a worn KEYWAY that locates it

the problem is not the altenator. you should have a idler pully and a self adjusting idler tensioner. if thes e go bad the bearings tend to seize up and break belts i would check these first chance you get the tensioner should be spring like and be hard to move back and forth the pulley part of it should spin freely with out makeing a noise. please rate this